Saturday, September 22, 2012

Morogoro: Part 2

We have been in Tanzania for two
weeks now and we are settling into a rhythm.Our
Weekday Schedule

6-6:30amWake up - Depending
on whether we need to study or shower

7amBreakfast - Usually it is a buffet of yogurt, bread with butter and
jam, uji which is a type of porridge, some kind of fruit, and sometimes eggs.

7:30amHead back to our room to take
our malaria prophylaxis and other meds and grab our books.

7:45amMorning Prayer with the other students and teachers. We will sing a
Swahili hymn and hear a scripture reading in English and Swahili. Then, someone
will offer prayer (usually in Swahili) and sometimes we all say the Lord’s
prayer in Swahili. After one final Swahili hymn, the day of classes begins.

8amClass - We meet in small groups based on when you arrived and how
long you are staying. Eric and I are together with our own teacher. The
teachers rotate every week so we have a new one each week. This helps us get
used to different styles and different ways people speak Swahili

10amTea Break - They offer tea, coffee, hot chocolate and some kind of
snack such as popcorn, banana chips, fried dough, etc. Usually by then our
heads our about to explode, so the break feels amazing.

2:30pmClass or Lecture - We will either continue working on our Swahili
or hear a lecture on a specific topic. So far we’ve heard lectures on “Tanzanian
Beliefs about the Spirit World,” “Malaria,” and “The History of Christianity in
Tanzania”

4pmTea Break

4:30pmFree Time - Usually we will go for a walk, go into Morogoro, or try
to get online. Our favorite walking destination has been a baobab tree that is
climbable. Trips to and from Morogoro require us to ride on a daladala (a 15
passenger vehicle that Tanzanians manage to fit 26 people into with a
combination of sitting and standing.)

6pm Dinner - Similar to lunch. Sometimes we will have noodles instead
of potatoes. Other options may include chicken, fish, goat m, hot dogs, or
occasionally pizza (though the toppings are a bit different- light on the
cheese because it is so pricey, cut up hot dog, onion and pinapple)

7pmFree Time - Usually this is when we do our homework and studying.

8:30 or 9pmInternet
- So far this has been the best time to get online, though it is still very slow.
About all we have time for in an hour is checking Facebook and all of our
emails. Twitter thus far has been impossible, but we are still working on it.
Right now we use the school’s wireless internet and pay by the hour.

9:30-10:30Get
Ready for Bed - Shower and possibly some for-fun reading or a MASH episode
(We brought the series.)

10:30-11pmBed
Time

Field
Trips and Extra Activities

The last two weeks the school has
had a big group of college-age German students (about 25 students), so there
have been a lot of extra activities. One evening we took a field trip into Morogoro so we could find our way around. Another
night we had an International Dinner where
everyone was asked to prepare a dish from their home country. We had dishes
from Germany, the U.S., India, the Congo, Korea, and Tanzania and it was all
delicious! One day we went for a 6-hour
hike in the Mountains of Morogoro. The views were incredible! One night
they brought in Traditional Tanzania
Dancers and Musicians. And then yesterday we went to Mikumi National Park and saw elephants, zebras, giraffes, warthogs,
hippos, impalas, etc. in their natural habitat. It was absolutely amazingly
unforgettable! For pictures of all these events, go to www.facebook.com/AfunketimeinTanzania.
You don’t need a Facebook account to see the pictures.

Weekends

On Sundays, we get up and go to the English worship service at 7am and
sometimes to the Swahili service at
8:30am. Otherwise the weekends are pretty low key and unstructured (with
the exception of meals. No sleeping in if you want breakfast). Almost all of
the German students left today, so it has been pretty quiet. There has been a
small short term mission group from Oklahoma staying here the last few days and
we have enjoyed their company.We have spent the day cleaning our
dorm, washing our underwear by hand (we can pay to have everything else washed,
but having someone other than family wash your underclothes is taboo), and
organizing life. Last week, I (Linda) successfully cut Eric’s hair for the
first time and it turned out really well! Power goes in and out. However, we
were able to get this post up, so obviously the power has come back on after
being off most of the day.So that’s a little taste of our life
right now. Thanks for your loving support and we learn to navigate this new
world!

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Linda, Eric, Michael and Julia Funke

In September of 2012, we followed God's call and moved to Tanzania. Eric teaches computers, math, and physics at Mwadui Lutheran Secondary School. Linda serves as school's guidance counselor and assists the local Lutheran diocese with development projects. In 2015, our son Michael joined our family. Then in 2017, our daughter Julia became part of our family. This blog provides space for our longer stories and reflections. If you would like to learn more about our ministry, please check out the following links: